Never Leave You Alone
by makowashiaki
Summary: Damian's been working alone, though he doesn't realize it yet. Dick has been in a coma, but can't leave his little brother on his own. Damian will find out eventually that Dick was never "really" there. Pre-Reboot AU Three Endings all up. COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

Summary: Damian's been working alone, though he doesn't realize it yet. Dick has been in a coma, but can't leave his little brother on his own. Damian will find out eventually that Dick was never "really" there. Pre-Reboot AU

Disclaimer: I'm a poor college grad with only debt to my name. You wanna take that off my hands? Feel free! All DC characters are property of their copyright holders.

* * *

The streets were clear, being that time of night. Normally, Dick had a clear view of them from several stories up, but tonight was different. He was enjoying being a normal person this time, having taken up an acquaintance from Hudson's offer for a weekend stay.

It was nice to be back in New Carthage for a little while… It was quiet, but without the worries of college work, or a case needing to be worked on, the town wasn't bad. A smile spread across the acrobat's lips as he caught sight of the old apartment building he had been a tenant in for a short time.

The squeal of tires behind him was ignored – he figured that it was just some of the more recent students at Hudson having a joy ride. The motor sounded much closer than it should be, even with distortion from the pulsing bass and raucous laughter. Eyes narrowed in suspicion, the acrobat turned his head to look over his shoulder – and Dick's world exploded in pain before quickly dissolving to unconsciousness.

* * *

One more dummy crashed to the floor, only to be kicked to the other side of the training area. It did not take a genius to realize that Damian was agitated beyond belief – he had been in such a mood since Grayson had left the manor on his trip.

"'I'll only be gone for a few days.' Hmph! His few days ran out yesterday..!" the angry boy scoffed. A throat was cleared from nearby, attracting his glare.

"Excuse me, Young Master, but breakfast is ready. Your father is already there, and I believe your training partners could use a rest." Alfred gave a small smile as Damian scowled and started towards the stairs. The butler fell in a couple steps behind the boy.

"-Tt- Let's hope you managed something decent for once."

"I do try."

Silence followed the two on their walk to the dining room. Normally, Damian would see no need to interrupt it, but today...

"... Has Grayson finally decided to phone in about his tardiness? Not that the idiot is of any of my concern."

"Unfortunately, we have received no word from Master Richard as of yet. However, if you like, I will inform you when we do." Alfred opened the hidden door to the study to allow Damian to exit first, then followed.

"Not like I care."

"Of course." Naturally, he would see to it that the youngest of their family stayed informed.

* * *

The inside of the clocktower had no lights on, but the sole occupant was illuminated by several screens giving her access to records, press releases, profiles, and various other samplings of information. Currently, most of the files were from New Carthage, with a radius of about 25 miles. It was official: Barbara, aka: Oracle, was worried about a certain former Boy Wonder.

"Come on... There has to be something," Barbara muttered to herself. "He was supposed to be back yesterday... If he got involved with something, he would've TOLD someone."

More useless information scrolled past as quickly as she could skim it. She had already been at it for hours, with nothing to show for it. Granted, she expected it to be hard to find evidence of a Bat anywhere, but if something had happened...

"Ah! An unidentified young man was admitted to the Kingston Hospital following what appears to be a mugging in New Carthage. Black hair, blue eyes, 5'10"... I think we found a winner here..." Barbara reached for the phone, just placing the call to Wayne Manor when her eyes caught on a detail in the report, "The John Doe is stable, but has been in a coma since arrival."

"Wayne Manor, may I help you?" Alfred, ever reliable, answered the phone on the second ring.

"Alfred, it's Barbara. I think... I think I may have found Dick."

* * *

AN: This is chapter one of what will be at LEAST a few. The next chapter actually starts things off with what has been going through my head… I just needed to establish what was going on, first. This entire story was spawned from one picture (that actually has a different meaning… but I saw the picture first, and this is what popped in my head…), the link (with spaces and quotes) added below:

"nightwing969. tumblr post/ 23110120624/ x"

Unlike my last stint at an author here, I'm not going to rely on certain amounts of reviews to post the next installment… I actually only started writing this because of a certain friend "begging me" (hahahaha). But I WOULD appreciate critiques or reviews. By the way… you have NO idea how much time I spent doing RESEARCH for just this small amount!

Wordcount of actual story: 647


	2. Chapter 2

Pre-Story A/N: Wow! I feel quite whelmed by the Story Alert and Favorites messages I got for the first chapter. O.o. Way to make me feel like I did something right, guys! Thank you so much!

A general note for anyone who was confused in the last chapter by it: John Doe is what an unidentified male patient and/or corpse is called. In this case, since none of the BatFamily have fingerprints, DNA, or any other form of identification on file, without a paper/plastic form of ID, Dick wouldn't really be recognized by hospital staff or the police. Not meaning to insult anyone's intelligence, I just want to make sure it's known. ;)

To my reviewers:

**Dextra2**: I'm glad you liked the first chapter, and I hope this second one lives up to your expectations!

**DeathwishJV**: Ahhh, intense? I'm happy it came out that way! As for Damian's reaction… well, we're not there yet. ;) We'll get there, I promise!

A starter note that will make sense as the story is read: Damian sees Dick as he expects him to appear. On patrol, or preparing to leave the 'Cave, he expects Dick to be in full Caped Crusader garb, if in the Manor, he expects civvies, etc. And no, he doesn't REALLY feel physical contact from him; his mind is just filling in the blanks.

_"Italics in quotes would be Dick talking."_

* * *

Chapter 2:

Dick suddenly became aware. No, not "woke up," this was a completely different sensation. His last thoughts had been occupied by pain and rushing darkness, and now he was looking around a room in Leslie's clinic. That simply left the question of how he had gotten to Gotham again.

A steady beeping caught the attention of the original Boy Wonder, pulling his gaze to a heart monitor. It was attached to a person laying on the bed - himself? But, he wasn't in-

_"Oh crap," _he muttered, looking down at himself on the bed. A bandage was wrapped around the head of the prone version of him, but a hand raised proved that no such thing existed on his own. Experimentally, he extended his hand to touch one of the instruments and wasn't surprised when his fingertips sunk through the surface, giving only the faintest sensation that he had actually touched it. _"Okay, okay... I'm a ghost. Sorta... I'm still alive on the bed. This... is pretty weird..." _

The sound of footfalls rang out, getting closer to where he was. Dick moved out of the way instinctively, idly wondering if anyone would be able to see him. After a moment, Leslie entered, leading a solemn group behind her consisting of Bruce and Alfred, who was pushing Barbara in her chair.

"Thank you for your help, Leslie," Bruce said in a low voice as Alfred moved the first Batgirl to Dick's bedside. He watched the young woman take hold of the acrobat's hand before turning completely to look at the doctor.

"This isn't the ideal situation to see all of you in one place again."

"No, it isn't."

"I thought there was more to your clan now, Bruce?" The doctor had begun moving around the space, checking over the machines, checking the stock in the cabinets, and generally keeping herself busy.

"Tim and Stephanie are conducting business elsewhere. They should be back in the next couple of days, so you might want to be expecting them," Barbara supplied, her eyes never leaving Dick's body on the bed. "And Damian cut off his comm-link when I tried to tell him what was going on."

The unnoticed (consciousness? spirit? astral body?) moved closer to Barbara. Half as a test, but mostly because he couldn't keep his mouth shut if he wanted to, Dick quipped _"Well, at least I know they care." _He wasn't surprised when no one noticed.

A glance to the side showed Bruce looking at the records, and Dick couldn't help himself. He walked over to look over his adopted father's shoulder, and suddenly found the answers to some of his questions.

_"Blunt force trauma to the right side of the head, unresponsive with no ID at time of arrival. Transferred to care of Dr. Leslie Thompkins' clinic in Gotham City. The date on this points to... Three days ago?" _This is where the sinking feeling in his gut goes.

Leslie suddenly whirled to face the son of her closest friends. "You left that boy to run around this city alone?" Her tone carried enough disapproval to make anyone ashamed - except a Wayne, it seemed.

"Damian is capable of taking care of himself."

Dick looked at the man behind the cowl for a moment, then at the others there before coming to a quick decision. He was going to check on his youngest brother, if he could leave the immediate area of his physical self. That was quick to prove possible, as he found himself moving through the wall of the clinic and towards the roofs in seconds. Now, all he had to do was find Robin.

Alone.

In Gotham.

* * *

Damian was standing on the edge of Wayne Tower, looking out over his father's city. He had been traversing the city since dark with little in the way of activity. There were a few petty criminals that he had stopped with only the necessary force. He had even stopped by to visit with Colin for a few minutes before continuing the patrol. The air around him just felt... empty, without Grayson around to fill it with his inane chatter and energy.

The assassin-trained boy snorted at his sentimental thoughts, glaring with more intensity at the street below for a moment. The air pressure shifted behind him, catching his attention. He knew that feeling well.

"-Tt- About time you showed up, Grayson. Your lateness is inexcusable."

Dick blinked in surprise. The little demon knew he was there? Must be the result of the training that Talia had put him through. Maybe the kid could hear him? It was worth a try.

_"Sorry, Little D. I got caught up in a mess..." _

"That isn't surprising." Damian turned to face his Batman, scowling petulantly into the lenses of the cowl*. "Pathetic that you can't stay clear of trouble while on a vacation."

Dick laughed, thrilled that he could be heard, and reached out to ruffle the bird's hair. _"What can I say? I attract attention."_

"Unfortunately." Damian scoffed and turned away from Dick, already throwing out a grapple to continue the patrol. He'd never admit how happy he was that he had come back, or that he had started to worry about the idiot. "Hurry up. You've had enough time to relax."

Dicksmiled fondly at the boy._ "Alright, Damian. I'm right behind you."_

The rest of the night was just as dull for Robin as the start had been, but it had the added benefit of Dick's optimistic presence. As they relaxed near the computer in the cave, Dick looked at his younger brother with a somewhat-serious expression.

_"Damian, I'm sorry I didn't come back when I said."_

"Hmph. You think I cared. It was quieter without you." The cave was silent for a few minutes.

_"Damian, did you notice that... I'm sort of a ghost?"_

"What are you talking about, Grayson. There's no such thing as ghosts. Idiot. Stop joking around in that outfit, you make a mockery of Father's legacy."

Dick studied his younger brother, eventually coming to the realization that he really didn't notice. So, he mentally shrugged it off and changed the subject._ "Hey... considering Bruce let you go out alone tonight, you must've been doing great." _

"-Tt- I don't need verification from you." Damian turned his head away and crossed his arms over his chest.

A smile ghosted across Dick's face. _"I'm glad you're showing that you'll be fine when I'm gone, Little D."_

Gone? What did the idiot mean, gone? "You won't be going anywhere, Grayson. Not without me. You're Batman - however temporarily - and until I take that mantle from you, I'm Robin."

_"You're right. Still, you're doing a great job filling that role, Damian. I... I want you to know, I'm proud of you." _Dick put his arms around the young boy, hoping he could feel the embrace as much as he wanted him to.

"Unhand me, Grayson!"

* * *

A/N: Not so much research this time, yay! Seriously, all I had to do was look up the spelling of a name.

In this chapter, I finally got around to what I wanted to cover. Oh, this was fun. Especially since I had a friend prodding me to finish it. Always encouraging, y'know?

Again, not gonna rely on review quotas to post the next installment… This is coming out just as fast as I figure out how I want it to go.

Actual word count of chapter: 1156


	3. Chapter 3a

**A/N**: Holy Alert Emails, Batman! AHHHH, you guys make me feel loved! I'm serious. The amount of people wanting to keep up with this story is flattering me. Thank you, all of you people!

To my reviewers:

**Dextra2**: Glad you enjoyed it again!

**Hount**: Well, I did continue it soon! :D

**grayember13**: Oh… Wow. . I didn't think I was writing much cuteness into it, but with those two, I suppose it's inevitable! I'm happy you enjoyed it: here, have some more! (Just a little though. Had other things going on in this chapter.)

**Tyra Kinami**: That's what's been running around in my head for a while now. So I decided to share it with you all!

A reminder that will make sense as the story is read: Damian sees Dick as he expects him to appear. On patrol, or preparing to leave the 'Cave, he expects Dick to be in full Caped Crusader garb. If in the Manor, he expects civvies, etc. And no, he doesn't REALLY feel physical contact from him; his mind is just filling in the blanks.

_"Italics in quotes would be Dick talking."_

* * *

Chapter 3:

The next morning, Damian found his way to the kitchen, not too surprised that Dick wasn't anywhere to be seen yet. He figured that the elder was being lazy, as usual. As he sat down, a plate was set in front of him, again unsurprising. Pennyworth was prompt, if nothing else.

"Young Master, about Master Richard -"

"I know already," the young Wayne cut him off, biting into a piece of bacon. The butler looked stunned for a moment, but covered it quickly.

"Then Miss Gordon's message got through to you, I take it?"

"No. I found out on my own."

"I see. Would you be wanting to visit Dr. Thompkins, then?" Alfred watched the boy. Maybe it was unrealistic to expect Damian to show concern for his partner, but no emotion slipped past the stoic facade.

"-Tt- Why would I want to go there. I'm not injured, and even if I was, there are sufficient medical supplies in the Cave or Bunker." Quickly, the boy finished the barely adequate breakfast and stood to leave Alfred and the kitchen.

* * *

Dick had been wandering aimlessly after he left Damian to rest, and had ended up back in Leslie's clinic, next to his comatose body. A heavy sigh escaped him and his shoulders slumped. _"Man... How lame is this... On a vacation, and I end up mugged, comatose, and all ghostly. The Titans won't let me live this down."_

He didn't want to think about the possibility of not getting that chance. It really was pretty inevitable for the thought to cross his mind: what if he wasn't going to wake up in his physical body again? He shook his head, banishing such thoughts. No, he was going to wake up again and get babied and teased mercilessly by his family, and then have to deal with DaddyBats.

Just as Dick was about to perform an excellent imitation of Bruce in one of his brooding moods, a noise caught his attention. As he turned towards it, he caught sight of Barbara wheeling herself through the door, obviously coming in to visit with him.

_"Babs..." _he murmured, ghosting (literally!) his hand over her red hair as she took hold of his body's hand, like she had done the night before.

"Look at you, Boy Wonder..." Barbara sighed. "I've spent the last seven hours looking at information on comas. I should've known better, with my memory being this good. But... several articles talk about how someone speaking to a coma patient seemed to have positive results. But then again, all the fairy tales say that it's a kiss that breaks the spell."

Dick couldn't help the goofy look that spread across his face as his body received a lingering kiss from his first (and, let's be honest, longtime) love. Of course, it didn't work, but Gotham was far from a fairy tale castle.

Barbara sighed a bit and settled back in her chair. "Well, since a kiss can't wake the sleeping hunk, talking it is."

As she started to talk about the early days and their escapades then, Dick sat on his bed to listen, laughing, smiling or bowing his head and frowning with her at the various memories. Like their first kiss - that was a good one. Soon, though, Leslie came to the room.

"I understand you're worried, but the Commissioner called. He's on his way to pick you up now," the doctor informed her. After Barbara murmured her thanks, the older woman walked back out.

"I'll have to leave you to your beauty sleep, I guess. Dick... Come back to us, ok?" She leaned over to kiss his cheek, then slowly let go of his hand to wheel herself out.

_"I'll try, Babs..."_

* * *

Dick was staring at himself and wondering just HOW in the world he was supposed to get back to normal when someone else decided to visit. Bruce carefully moved a chair next to the bed, right where Barbara herself had been not long before, and sat down. It was only natural that his next move was to pick up the file kept near the bed and look over it, already working more frown lines into place as he looked over his adopted son.

_"Hey there, Bruce. Couldn't pretend to work, huh?" _Dick leaned towards his mentor a bit.

Bruce sighed and lowered the folder, pinching the bridge of his nose. The man was worried about him, and if Dick hadn't known him so well, he was sure to have found it shocking. It was, however, pretty surprising to actually be able to SEE the worry on the Dark Knight's face.

Unlike with the first Batgirl, Bruce showed no intentions of trying to talk to the coma patient, and seemed content to just sit there and observe Dick, knowing that he was still alive. Dick was just getting uncomfortable with the silence - he never really enjoyed quiet in groups - when the older man's phone started going off.

_"Hey, that's not cool. You're supposed to turn your phone off in hospitals and such!"_

Bruce pulled the device from his jacket and frowned at the number as he answered it. "How did you get this number," he demanded in a growl.

Dick blinked a couple times. Normally, that voice came from the cowled version.

"Talia." Oh, that would explain the tone. "What sort of proposal... No. I said no. I've seen what those pits - I refuse." The man stood up and walked to the door, still on the phone, and gave one last regretful glance back before storming off, argument back in full swing.

Dick frowned at the departure. Sure, it had been a little strange to hang around with his adoptive father while he was visiting an unresponsive body, but he couldn't help but feel a bit slighted at the departure. Especially when it was prompted by Damian's mother calling.

_"Well... She offered to let him use a Lazarus Pit for me... I don't even want to think about what she wants in return."_

The acrobat shook his head a bit and looked at himself again for a moment. He couldn't take sitting in there right now... Barely a thought later and Dick found himself on the roof of the clinic, looking up at the sunshine and smog of the city.

* * *

**(_The following scene was written by BlueMoss. Go read her other stuff! BM: I'm a guest speaker! Hahahahahahahahaha)_**

Tim wasn't sure what he expected to find. When Oracle called him two days ago and told him that Dick was in a coma, he wasn't sure he could believe it. Something in the back of his mind was telling him it was a joke. No way Dick would have let himself get mugged and put in the hospital. Had to be a joke, had to be.

But there he was, laying in that bed with all manner of wires and tubes hooked up to him. Tim didn't move for a long time, taking in the sight. Like he was waiting for Dick to jump and yell "April Fools!", but he didn't. Tim stood over his brother, utterly defeated.

"Damn."

He let out a sigh and slumped into the chair next to Dick's bed. Tim's mind pushed out the sadness and replaced it with guilt.

"I'm sorry, Dick. This is my fault."

Tim leaned forward and rested his forehead on the side of the bed. He shut his eyes tight and had to take a few deep breaths. Dick had called him before he went on his trip.

_"Hey, you should come with me! It'll be fun and you've been working so hard lately." "Sorry, Dick. I can't. I have a lot of stuff going on." "That's exactly why you should." "Maybe another time, OK?" "Sure, sure. Let me know when you can pencil me in."_

Tim sat up and leaned back in the uncomfortable chair, running both hands over his head and screwing up his hair.

"If I had been there... If I had gone with you this wouldn't have happened."

He was quiet for a while, listening to the hum of the machines that were keeping one of his best friends alive. His shoulders slouched and his arms hung useless at his sides.

After a long time Tim stood. The chair was getting painful.

"I'm here for you now though."

Tim's face contorted into one of disgust. How did he even have the right to say that? He looked to the side and clenched his fists in anger.

"Yeah. Here now that I can't do anything. Now that there's no way I can help you."

He turned to face Dick again and his expression softened.

"Some hero I am. Can't even save my brother."

Tim put his hand to his face. He had to get out of this room. If he didn't he was going to fall apart. And the smell of the clinic was making him nauseous.

"I'll be back later," he spoke into his palm. He turned and left, making a beeline to the door onto the street. When he got outside he took some deep breaths, keeping his eyes closed. He wanted to throw up. He just couldn't stay in there, but he felt like he was abandoning Dick...again.

"Tim?"

He looked up to see a familiar face.

"Steph? ... Are you here to see Dick?"

"Umm... I saw him this morning. I actually came looking for you."

"Me?"

"Yeah, Barbara told me you were over here. Said you looked pretty numb. I wanted to see how you were doing."

"Numb, huh." His eyes were unfocused, looking past her. "Yeah, I wish."

She closed the gap between them in one bound, pulling Tim into a tight hug. "Don't say things like that." she spoke into his shoulder.

He didn't hug her back. "Why not?"

"Because Dick would never want you to feel nothing. Because if you feel nothing then you are nothing. And you definitely are not nothing Tim."

The words struck home and he wrapped his arms around her, returning the hug. "I'm sorry. It's just this is my-"

"Don't you dare say that this is all your fault. I know you're not that selfish."

"But if he..."

She pushed him away, holding him at arm's length. "He's not going to die OK?" she said, like saying it out loud was helping her to believe too.

Tim studied her. How was she being so strong? Why can't he be that strong?

"OK?" she repeated.

He nodded.

Her eyes lit up and she smiled. Like his nod was all she needed to confirm it. "Good. Let's go get some pizza." Stephanie grabbed his arm and led him away. Tim knew that any protest would have been met with a fist to his face.

Besides, pizza sounded pretty good.

* * *

When Damian returned to his room some hours later, he found Dick standing next to the window in there. The young crime-fighter narrowed his eyes at the intrusion. "What are you doing in my quarters, Grayson," he demanded.

Dick smiled and turned to face him. _"Sorry, Little D. I wanted to talk to you."_

"And you felt the need to break into my room, to do it." Damian snorted and folded his arms over his small chest. "What could you have to say that is so important?"

_"On patrol tonight... I'm going to stand back and evaluate your decisions and performance. Consider it a... test." _Dick gave him a bright smile. _"I know you'll do great."_

* * *

**A/N**: This one was actually going to contain visits from my whole list of planned ones. Since it was starting to get pretty long (in comparison to the other chapters), I decided to split the planned events into two chapters.

This story is actually moving a lot faster than I thought it would…

Actual Word count: 1911


	4. Chapter 3b

**A/N**: I know it took a while for this to get done… I hit a bump in the road with the words "WRITER'S BLOCK" written all over it, and had some real-life issues to take care of. This actually turned out a little different than what I planned… But we finally got to the reference to the picture that prompted this entire story.

Also: O.o All the alerts and such messages! I love you guys. You make me feel good about myself!

**Reviewer Responses:**

**Dextra2**: Oooh, thanks for your continued support!

**Tyra Kinami: **I'm really glad you find my feels-tastic story wonderful (in it's sad way)! Here, have some more! Hahahaha

**Chupo**: Well… Your comment prompted me to rethink something. Thanks! It won't be in this chapter, but look forward to it in the story. ;)

**Cunningham0208487**: Hahaha, you weren't that far behind in finding it! I've just had a devil on my shoulder lighting a fire under my butt for this story… And that devil's name is BlueMoss… I continued it! Is it early enough to get that cookie!

A starter note that will make sense as the story is read: Damian sees Dick as he expects him to appear. On patrol, or preparing to leave the 'Cave, he expects Dick to be in full Caped Crusader garb. If in the Manor, he expects civvies, etc. And no, he doesn't REALLY feel physical contact from him; his mind is just filling in the blanks.

_"Italics in quotes would be Dick talking."_

* * *

Chapter 3b:

Damian was smiling.

Dick could tell, even though it wouldn't look like a smile if it was on someone else. But being up on the roof of a building, taking in the cool air and scattered beams of moonlight mixed with the harsh traffic lights below... It was enough to make even the most stoic Bat show some measure of joy.

"So, you're following me around, but I'm on my own."

_"Yep, that's right."_

"That makes no sense, Grayson."

_"I told you, it's a test. I'm gonna evaluate you while you do the patrol." _Damian studied the second Bat for a moment, then gave a nod.

On an unseen signal, the two began the normal patrol routes. Dick just hoped there was no reason for the Commissioner to flip the switch on the Bat-Signal.

* * *

Jason sunk a little further into the shadows of the alley-way, frowning underneath his helmet. The baby bird had been acting strangely during a confrontation with a couple run-of-the-mill thugs just a few moments before. He had been sniping off insults at their mutual predecessor, but with the comments... It seemed like the Golden Boy had been there, instead of just keeping contact through a comm. The vigilante had thought Dick was still out of town, since he hadn't been seen in Gotham lately.

An unseen smirk crossed his face; he had an easy way to find out what was going on. All it took was finding his replacement, and a little violence to get the kid's blood pumping.

It didn't take Jason long to find Red Robin, although finding him stationed on top of a certain clinic was a bit unexpected. In fact, the third to wear the Robin uniform seemed to be guarding the building, cowled head scanning the area frequently. Carefully, the Red Hood loosened his knife in its sheath before jumping to the over passing tracks. He knew the kid would notice him - was counting on it, truth be told. Sure enough, Tim soon joined him on the rails, and the outlaw would bet money that there was an imitation BatGlare behind the white lenses.

"What are you doing here, Jason?"

"Can't I run around Gotham and decide to chat when I see a familiar cowl, Timmy? There a reason you're staking out the Clinic?" Jason gestured towards the building lazily.

"It's none of your business."

"Oh, so it's a big Bat secret, huh? Can't tell the black sheep?"

"I don't want to fight, Jason..."

"Ooh, and you wanna help me or somethin'? Geez... Good thing Mr. Golden Child isn't here. I'd probably puke."

Jason could practically see veins pop under the concealing cowl. "Shut up! You've no idea what we have all been through lately!" That's what he was looking for... Another push, and he'd be throwing caution to the wind.

"Did I hit a nerve? What's bothering the poor little replacement? Oh... but you got replaced too, didn't you?" That ought to do it.

Sure enough, Tim was launching an attack: his bo was flying towards the left side of Jason's head, and he barely had enough time to drop into a crouch to avoid it. A firm foot to Tim's side sent him back a short distance, and as he began to swing another blow, the older vigilante darted closer to quickly disarm him. Red Robin didn't the loss of his weapon bother him, choosing instead to pull a knee up towards Jason's gut. A muffled grunt rewarded his efforts, and the Red Hood took a step back, already recovering his breath - he had been prepared for the retaliation. The two glared at each other through their respective masks and they were about to jump back into their fight, a familiar voice called out disapprovingly.

"Excuse me, but I believe you owe Dr. Thompkins an apology, Master Timothy. Master Jason. A staff just happened to break one of the clinic's windows."

Everyone in the Bat Family knows when Alfred implies that you need to stop, you stop…

A short time later found Jason and Tim finishing up with putting boards over the broken window to hold it over until the glass could be replaced the next day. Alfred and Leslie watched them, tea cups in hand. When the last nail was in place, Jason turned to face the butler and doctor, hands stuffed unceremoniously in his pockets and feeling a bit exposed without his helmet.

"So, what's going on here that requires Timmy to keep watch, but not talk about it?"

Grudgingly, the teenager next to him muttered, "Bruce thinks that Talia might send some people here." Now that was interesting.

"Talia? As in, mother of the little demon, Talia al-Ghul? What would she want with a clinic?"

A moment of silence passed, during which Tim decided that the best course of action would be to return to his post on the roof. Actually, with Talia potentially plotting something, it probably was a grand idea. Jason looked at the other two in the room, hands coming to rest on his hips casually as he waited.

"There was an... incident, with Master Richard," Alfred supplied.

"Oh? Did the Dickie-bird get himself killed or something?" Loathe as Jason was to admit it, the idea of the first Robin dying left a horrible taste in his mouth. Frankly, it was terrifying. But... the fact that he was here instead of the Cave disproved that theory.

"No. He's just not waking up from a nasty bump on the head."

A coma. Well, that could explain why Talia was sticking her nose in. She WAS the one who threw a catatonic, recently-returned-from-dead boy in a Lazarus Pit to fix him up. Without another word to Alfred and Leslie, Jason walked towards where he was sure he'd find his estranged older brother.

When Jason found the bed with an unnaturally still Dick Grayson, he hesitated before walking into the room, barely registering the sound of footsteps coming to a halt just outside the door. One hand reached up to carefully peel his red domino mask away, as though the Star-lite lenses might have changed things - but no, Dick was still laying there.

"Damn, Dickie-bird. I never thought I'd see you actually quiet without a gag..." Jason moved a little closer, looking carefully at the newer Batman. He felt a surprising amount of anger rush through him, ineffective as it was, but it made him decide on a new goal. His free hand snagged the medical information, looking at the details that laid the acrobat low and memorizing anything that seemed important. He was going to find who did this, starting when he leaves the clinic.

"Don't you worry, Dick. Whoever did this is gonna pay." He slipped the file back in its place, hesitating again. Something else needed to be said before he could leave. "It's just wrong to let you stay like this. You're supposed to be flying, and you sure as hell can't do that on life support. It'd be kinder to just pull the plug on you if you can't wake up. And if the others can't, I will. I'm already a murderer, after all."

Outside the door, Alfred felt a small amount of pride for the prodigal son of the Bat Family.

* * *

"Grayson, when are you going to tell me how I did?" Damian demanded the night after his "patrol test."

Dick laughed a bit at his partner, understanding his dwindling patience. _"I'd say that you passed, Little D! You really showed that all the work you've put into becoming Robin has paid off."_

"-Tt- Like there was any doubt." The Boy Wonder turned his nose up, hiding the swell of pride he felt at his insufferable older brother's praise as he continued pulling on his gear for the night.

Heavier steps announced the approach of the original Batman, attracting the attention of both Dick and Damian when he looked into the changing area.

"Damian, you're patrolling with me tonight. Are you ready to go?" Bruce asked the young boy.

Damian stood up and put his mask in place with a nod. "Yes, Father," he stated, accepting the hand that was extended to him after a moment's hesitation. He refused to look back at Dick, knowing that the acrobat probably had the most ridiculous grin on his face. That didn't, however, stop the hand that immediately went to ruffle his hair.

_"Now, promise me you're going to be a good boy as well when I'm not around, okay?" _Dick asked, smiling to keep from showing his reluctance to let the kid out of his sight. Well, the boy had just proven that he would behave according to the oaths that all of the predecessors of the Robin uniform had taken. And Bruce was showing his acceptance of his son now... Damian wasn't alone now, so Dick was not really needed.

"-Tt- Grayson! Unhand me, you, " Damian swiped at the offending hand, turning to level a glare but continued instead with confusion, "... idiot.."

Bruce turned to look at his son, who was staring behind them. Damian looked confused, like he was searching for something that wasn't there anymore. "Damian...?"

"Where'd he go?"

"Dick? He's at the clinic. You didn't know that?"

Damian knew Red Robin had been protecting the clinic, but he didn't know why. Naturally, he assumed that Grayson had gone to relieve Drake. "Hmph. Left rather suddenly, didn't he?"

"Yes, he did..." Batman said as he strode to the Batmobile. Robin followed and the two rode to Gotham in silence.

* * *

**A/N:** Whew. That took long enough. I've been persuaded (conned) into adding a chapter I never planned for, so this will be a LITTLE longer than I previously expected. As an added bonus, I'll be writing three – yes, that's right, THREE - alternate endings. Two are because I can't decide which I like better, and one that was requested. Not gonna tell what they are, though~~

Actual word count of chapter: 1597


	5. Chapter 4

**A/N:**Oh, Lawdy! If I shared the conversation that's held while working on these chapters… I think people would worry about BlueMoss and my sanity… Family was conspiring against my writing this chapter, I swear! Every time I thought I had a moment to sit and write, I got called away or sent to the store or some other nonsense. And SOMEONE filled pages of nonsense waiting for me to return…It was highly amusing to get through.

**Reviewer's Responses:**

**Dextra2: **At least it's only if he doesn't wake up!

**Tyra Kinami: **Thanks for the compliments! ^_^ The finding out WAS supposed to happen sooner, but this chapter happened instead. So, no heart-breaking yet.

**Cunningham0208487: ***noms cookie* Mmm, yummy! Oh, it's my personal belief that Bruce has a decent idea of something being _wrong_ with what he's noticed, but JUSTICE cannot rest for a night… There will be more on that bit later. I don't wanna give anything away. *winks*

**Chupo: **I'm showing my hand here. I'm really trying to get this completed, so… I doubt I'll get the chance to really develop more than what I've got here, though.

**Whitewolfmoon: **Oh my! I'm sorry I make you sad with my writings… but then again, I'm glad to know that it's written well enough to warrant that! ^_^

**Hount-Walf: **I'm afraid I made you wait for this… Hopefully you still find it interesting!

**ProtectorKorii:** I have to give the credit for making me think of it to **Chupo** here. :) And believe it or not, Raven was my first thought for a fix it! You'll see what happens, though.

A starter note that will make sense as the story is read: Damian sees Dick as he expects him to appear. On patrol, or preparing to leave the 'Cave, he expects Dick to be in full Caped Crusader garb. If in the Manor, he expects civvies, etc. And no, he doesn't REALLY feel physical contact from him; his mind is just filling in the blanks.

_"Italics in quotes would be Dick 'talking'."_

* * *

Chapter 4:

(This first scene was written by BlueMoss, again. She submitted it on her own, too, so if you want to leave comments about this part in particular, go to her own submission, please! ^_^)

Dick "leaned" against the doorframe, arms crossed, gazing into the bedroom. Smirking, he observed his younger brother. Tim was sitting at his computer, slumped forward with his head resting half on the keyboard in front of him. The kid was passed out.

Dick let out a silent laugh and strode into the room. He knew that if his body had been solid the action would have woken Tim up, but with him being a ghost and all...

He slowed for a moment and shook his head. No, not a ghost. He couldn't think like that. Looking up he saw that Tim's desk was a mess of files. Tim usually kept his papers so orderly. Dick took a glance around the room and saw that the whole thing was a wreck. Well, a wreck for Tim. There were clothes lying on the floor by the bed with more papers laid out on the messy sheets. He even spied an empty glass and clear plate on the bedside table.

Alfred must be pretty busy to let this slide. Either that or Tim had barred the butler from his room, which was not unheard of.

Dick turned his attention back to his slumbering brother. He walked softly to stand next to him and wondered what he was working on so hard that caused him to work till he passed out. Dick leaned over Tim to see what was on the computer screen, instinctively moving to place his hand on the younger man's shoulder. His vision blurred at the touch and he heard a whooshing in his ears. Vertigo hit Dick like a truck as he ripped his hand away and staggered back. He stared at his hand which burned white hot before cooling. Furrowing his brow, he looked back to Tim. The kid's breathing had quickened and his muscles had tensed, like someone had dumped ice water on him, but he didn't wake up. After a few seconds he relaxed.

What was that? Dick had touched people while like this before but that never happened. Curious, he poked Tim gently on the head. This time there was less heat, but more vision blurring, then more vertigo when he pulled away. Tim's breath had hitched at the touch but nothing more.

A thought came to him. He'd read books where ghosts and spirits could get into sleeping people's dreams. What if that's what this was? Excited, Dick placed his hand onto Tim's head. This time there was no heat at all and his vision blurred to white. A light feeling washed over him and suddenly he felt like he was falling.

...

Wind rushed past him, something he hadn't felt since he woke up outside of his body.

After a few moments Dick saw ground start to rush up to him. He panicked for a moment before he realized that the fall felt unnatural. The wind had stopped and the ground was moving too fast. He landed with a light thud and, after making sure he was actually on the ground, Dick took a look around.

He was standing on a hilly plain that stretched to mountains in the distance. There were a few trees dotted around and the grass came to his knees. The sky was pure white, like a big lamp that wanted him to see everything. Dick was still taking it all in when he heard a shuffling behind him. He turned to see Tim standing about 30 yards away faced away from him.

Dick smiled. It worked! He was in Tim's dream. Which meant he could communicate with him! "Tim!" he yelled, waving his arms to get his brother's attention.

Tim turned at the noise. He didn't say anything, but had a perplexed look on his face. Dick bounded over to him, pulling Tim into a hug.

"Dick? ..But..."

"Isn't this cool Tim? I'm in your dream!" Dick said, still hugging his brother.

"But…" Tim pushed Dick off him and backed up. "You died already." The way Tim said it was almost like it was more to himself than to the man in front of him.

Panic gripped Dick's throat. He was dead? "Wha?"

"Look." Tim pointed to his right. Dick looked to his left at a large pond that definitely wasn't there a few moments ago. The water was dark, black. Floating on its surface was a corpse. His corpse. Dick stared, slack-jawed at the horrifying sight. Tim's words snapped his head back to look at him. "I watched you drown in that pond a few minutes ago." He crossed his arms over his chest. "Doesn't make sense why you're here though. This hasn't happened before. You all have always stayed dead."

Dick took a moment to process that information. "You all?" He then noticed something to his right. After turning his head to look Dick instantly wished he hadn't. He saw Stephanie on the next hill over. Only she was impaled in the stomach by a wooden pike that was sticking out of the ground. In the tree next to her were the bodies of Tim's fellow Titans, hanging from nooses. Dick squeezed his eyes shut from the sight, only opening them after he had turned back to Tim. "Tim what is going on with this dream?"

Tim looked at him like he should know the answer. "What do you mean? I have this dream almost every time I fall asleep. Everyone I know dies. Sometimes you all kill each other, sometimes I kill you all, or I watch you fail and die from it. Or, like this one, as well as the past few nights, I just stumble upon corpses. The only person I actually have watched die these past few have been you."

Dick was speechless. Why hadn't he told anyone about this? How long had he been having these messed up dreams? And why was Tim talking about it like it wasn't a big deal? "Tim, I... uh. Can I help you?" Dick had no idea what to say to all this.

Tim cocked an eyebrow at him. "No? I mean unless this dream is going to make me watch you die twice, which is weird."

"No. I'm not going anywhere." Dick moved forward to hug Tim again but was stopped by an outstretched arm.

"Rather you not hug me again. Feels cold."

"Tim... How long have you been having these dreams?"

The younger man shrugged. "Can't remember to be honest."

Dick wanted to tell him that he wasn't just another part of the dream. He wanted to talk to his younger brother about was going on outside of all this. But he couldn't, not now. Dick didn't know why Tim was keeping this all a secret, but if he knew that Dick actually knew about these dreams... Dick knew what Tim was capable of, at least without him there to stop him from doing anything stupid. He will play the subconscious for now, but after all this is over Dick will have to deal with this. "How bad to they get?"

Tim's eyes narrowed. Even though he was dreaming he could tell something was off. "Pretty bad. Sometimes I have to kill myself to wake up. Better then slitting your throat, or stabbing Bruce in the heart. No one even fights back during those dreams, except Damian." After finishing, Tim gasped and coughed heavily, spitting blood. Dick was by his side instantly.

"What. Are you ok?"

Tim slowly got to his knees, gripping his chest. "Heh, yeah. Time to wake up I guess," he hissed out, his face shaping into relief.

Dick heard a loud click before the ground opened up beneath them, swallowing them up with darkness.

...

The whooshing was back in his ears as he felt the vertigo slam into him in the dark. Slowly, Dick gained his eyesight back. After he felt like he could look around without falling over, he looked for his brother.

Tim was still slouched over the desk, though no longer asleep. He held his head in his hands and was taking slow, shuddering breaths. Dick watched him as he slowly sat up, running a hand through his hair. Suddenly, Tim snapped his head around and glared right at him. Dick jumped. He wasn't expecting that. Wait. Could Tim see him now?

"_Tim?_" Dick reached a hand out and stepped closer.

No response. Dick's shoulders fell. After a few more moments of glaring, Tim turned in his chair to look at his doorway. He sighed, standing and, with one last glace in Dick's direction, exited his room.

Whenever this whole matter was resolved, Dick was going to have to at least TRY to get his younger brother to talk to someone... Maybe Clancy; she had some experience with helping a masked person figure things out, after all. At the very least, he had to get Tim to talk about them in the waking world. Keeping that sort of mental trauma to yourself just CAN'T be healthy.

Dick sighed, shaking his head. A quick glance out the nearby window told him it was late enough that Tim was probably getting ready to go patrol the city. When he finally followed Tim's lead out of the room, it didn't take long to find the younger man in the cave, pulling on the last bit of his costume...

"I know, Stephanie... I said I'm sorry! I didn't mean to doze off... I'll be at the clinic in a few minutes."

...And currently on the comm with Stephanie, who was apparently at the Gotham Clinic. Dick shrugged a shoulder and let a smile cross his face, deciding to tag along with Red Robin on the trip to the clinic. There wasn't much else to do with Damian already off patrolling with Bruce.

* * *

Dick had been on this roof with Stephanie and Tim for a good half hour, just listening to them talk. It had started out mainly centered with Bat business, but in the last few minutes the conversation had shifted to...well... waffles. When the topic became more specific ("The Difference Between Eggos and Belgian"), the acrobat decided it was time to leave his younger brother and the current Batgirl to their conversation, with the intent of visiting himself. Tim's dream had left him feeling unsettled, and he felt the urge to make sure he was still alive.

"Red Robin here. Go ahead, Oracle."

Naturally, the moment he turned his back on them, the kids received an update from Babs. Dick backed up and leaned his head closer to Stephanie's, right next to the ear she usually stuck the comm in.

"...set at the base of the Robert Kane Memorial Bridge. Anonymous tip, but it needs to be checked out and defused if there really is one there."

"-Tt- No big deal. I'll handle it."

"I'll come help you out, Robin!"

"You'll just get in my way, Fatgirl." The blonde scowled at the less-than-flattering name, giving Tim a curt "goodbye" as she swung off in the opposite direction of the bridge.

Dick shook his head, amused at how Damian could randomly prove he actually was a child. The amusement quickly faded, however, and he glanced towards where the youngest member of their family would be going. Visiting his body could wait a while longer: he was going to check in on Damian at the bomb site, just to make sure.

* * *

Damian growled under his breath at the disagreeable piece of tech born of a combination of electronics and explosives. It was taking far longer than it should have to accomplish his objective, and each second that ticked by was adding to his growing irritation. A bomb like this should have been simple to disarm, but whatever sadist had put it together had taken great delight in choosing monochrome wires - most of which he had revealed to be dummies placed to kill time.

Finally, Robin gave in to his frustration and snipped a random wire. A triumphant smirk appeared on his face as the digital timer flicked off and he relaxed back on his heels for a moment before standing up. As he shot a line up to the nearest roof to leave the remains to the bomb squad - still not on the scene, though that would be expected from the slack forces of Gotham City PD - he caught a glimpse of bright blue in a nearby shadow. Scowling, he decided not to say anything to the sometimes-Batman, annoyed at the other for first leaving him behind and then having the gall to check on him like a child.

"-Tt-" he scoffed as he flew away, not bothering to glance back.

Dick chuckled lightly at the boy's exit, then slowly made his way over to the bomb. A quick glance proved that the timer had been deactivated, but something about the set up seemed... too easy. The intangible vigilante crouched close to the explosives, leaning close to get a better look at the parts he could see.

At first, he couldn't see anything besides the mess of all white-covered copper wires attached to points on the casing and timer. As he stood up, however, the light shining off of a slender piece of metal caught his eye.

"An antennae?" Dick's eyes widened a bit. "There's a remote!"

There wasn't enough time to catch up to Damian, now. Time seemed to slow down for the incorporeal acrobat as the detonator activated. Light, flames, and shrapnel burst from the casing. He felt nothing as all of it passed through him, only seeing the brightness.

As darkness started to creep into his vision, Dick felt himself wonder "_Is THIS what dying is like?_"

* * *

Jason looked towards Wayne Manor, propped on his idling motorcycle near the gate. In his hand was a manila envelope containing everything he had found in New Carthage during his info-gathering excursion. Unsurprising, given the small size of the college town, there hadn't been much work needed to find those responsible for the Golden Boy's recent head trauma.

A quick visit to the NCPD gave a few details that he hadn't been able to glean from Dick's medical file at the clinic - like the object that caused the injury was apparently an aluminum bat, left at the scene and either handled with gloves or wiped before it had been recovered. He was even able to pick up information about what gangs were in the area, which narrowed his "shopping list" for interrogations.

Several broken bones, concussions, and shattered teeth later, Jason had been given a "consensual" recorded confession, explaining that the now-dissolved and arrested group had been hired to kill one Richard John Grayson (a photo had been sent to the leader's phone) by Talia al Ghul - who had been described as "a hot Middle Eastern babe." The young man theorized that Talia had been intending to repeat what she had done with him, but obviously things hadn't worked out.

Jason pushed away from his bike and made his way up to the front door, where he paused with a hand lifted to knock. After a second's thought, he lowered his hand and bent down to rest the envelope against the doorframe, then turned and hurried back to his bike. As he took off, the outcast member of the Bat family didn't glance back.

* * *

**A/N:** Woo! All that's left are the endings now! First one will be the "Bad" ending… Second will be "Good," and third will be "gray." All three will be labeled as such, so if you only want to read one or some other, then you can choose accordingly. Of course, I'll love it if you read all three, but…

**NOTICE: The BAD ending is the only one that WILL have Character Death. **

Actual Word Count of Chapter: 2,561 (LONGEST CHAPTER YET)


	6. BAD End

**A/N: **So here we are… the endings. It's been fun, guys, and I hope you enjoy them. ;) By the way, I'm not sure WHEN it may happen, but there MIGHT be a sequel to this branching from the BAD ending. It depends on my mood.

**Reviewer's Response: **

**DeathwishJV: **Well, I passed the message along to the author of that scene… And you get a dream from Damian in two of the ends, but neither are the dark horrible ones that are probably NORMAL… You'll see. ;)

**Hount-Walf:** Ahhh! That was the longest chapter! Lol… Well, I'm a firm believer in the whole 'don't drag it out' idea. Here are three endings, ready for your perusal!

**Anonymous:** Oh, hi there, anon! I'm glad you liked it! :D Thanks for reading it, and I hope you find the endings as good as the rest of it!

**Tyra Kinami:** Sorry that y story doesn't focus so much on Tim or the other kids… Maybe poking at BlueMoss will get her to write more about his nightmares! Or maybe she'll just be flattered… Well, here you go, endings to find out just what happens to Dick!

**pokerfacedcat: **:D I'm glad you liked and reviewed all the previous chapters! Here is the end to your suspenseful waiting period! I hope you enjoy!

* * *

Damian glared at the dark sky above the alley he was crouching in. How could he have messed up disarming that bomb? It was a stupid rookie mistake, and he had been disarming – and building – bombs since he could hold the tools necessary. He, Damian Wayne, Robin and son of the Batman, had failed. And Grayson had seen it. That was worse than the knowledge that he had failed in his mission. He didn't want to face his father or any of the strays that had become his family yet; did not want the sympathy, pity, or mockery that was sure to accompany their greetings.

So, here he sat, tracer disabled, in a filthy alley littered with old newspapers and the garbage overflowing from a nearby dumpster. A petulant scowl overtook his features, and the young boy pulled the hood of his cape over his hair and switched the victim of his glare to the ground. He was NOT pouting.

A soft high-pitched sound jerked his attention from a crack in the pavement, whipping around to face it. Surprised, Damian blinked at the small walking pile of dark grey fuzz that was staring up at him with exceptionally blue eyes. The kitten mewled again, tottering towards the boy a little unsteadily. The current Robin stared at the feline as it climbed over his legs to enjoy the warmth of his lap before hesitantly moved a gloved hand to stroke the soft fuzz on top of its head.

As he made his way back to the manor, Damian took some time to swing by the orphanage where Colin lived, and the boy-identity of Abuse was happy to find a couple small, chipped dishes, a small can of tuna, and a cardboard box that the two boys had filled with some shredded newspapers for the time being, to serve as a litter box. Neither was able to tell if the kitten was really old enough for the food, or trained for the box, but Robin decided to give them a try.

A short time later and Damian was climbing through the window of his bedroom, clutching the grey kitten to his chest – and getting little hairs all over the red tunic – with one hand. The animal had fallen asleep in his hold, purring at first before falling silent as its sleep deepened. He found himself reluctant to put the kitten down, but finally coaxed the tiny claws from their hooked place in fabric and carefully put the fuzzy ball on top of his blankets so he could change out of his uniform. After doing so, he set up the box and filled one of the bowls with water, then joined his new pet on the bed for some sleep.

...

He was dreaming. He knew he was. Everything was just a little too muted, and proportions were off. But it was a familiar dream... one of his favorites. If it was the one he knew it to be, this was where everyone was accepting of him, and he was able to drop his shields and accept them. It helped that it was a fantasy with his mother at his father's side, no longer manipulative and cold.

The motley crew that was called the Bat Family was present, with a few extras: Oracle was standing - yes, standing... fantasies had no room for tragedy - with Stephanie, chatting happily. Drake and Todd were having a scuffle, laughing as they wrestled each other. Talia was conversing easily with Cassandra, content with Bruce's arm around her waist. Commissioner Gordon stood with Alfred and Leslie, the three watching the "kids" with affection. Even Colin was there, though he wasn't really a part of the Bats. He knew that he was sitting to one side by himself so he could watch, and any minute now, Grayson would-

"Hey, Damian! What are you doing over here by yourself?" the acrobat asked as he slid into a seat next to him.

"Just watching."

"You'll miss out on all the fun if you just sit alone. C'mon, let's go back over to everyone!"

Damian allowed his older brother to take his wrist and drag him to the rest of their family. This was his favorite part of the dream: being close to everyone when they are happy, and being a part of it. But something seemed off about the first Robin. He stopped before they could get to the others and faced Damian, hands resting on his shoulders.

"Dami, take care of our family, ok? And make sure you take care of yourself, too. Bruce needs you just like Batman needs Robin. Even if he has a hard time showing it, it's the truth." Suddenly, he was crouched down and hugging Damian. "I love you, little brother."

...

Damian sat up, confused. That dream was supposed to be completely happy. Why did it seem like Grayson was saying goodbye?

* * *

A week later, Damian was sitting in a bedroom at the Penthouse, dressed in a stiff black suit. The main decoration in this room was a large poster done in garish circus colors, and a few small knick knacks littered the bed stand. It was cold and empty, which seemed wrong considering who the room belonged too. USED to belong to.

He had been staying here since Leslie had called the manor after the explosion. The call had been meant for his father, but he overheard the resulting conversation between Bruce and Alfred. It had been strange, hearing that the older brother he had only missed for a few days had truly been in a coma since his "return." But that was ignoring the matter at hand...

"Dick Grayson is dead," he murmured to himself. The sadness he expected was still muted - he was still in some sort of shock, it seems. He knew the man was dead, had just returned from his funeral, in fact, but still couldn't seem to completely accept the fact.

For a moment, he distracted himself from the troubling lack of sorrow he knew he should be feeling by thinking about the funeral itself. One of them, anyway. It had been held in the family plot, of course, right next to where the other members of the Flying Graysons were laid to rest. The casket was empty - Bruce had decided to not leave it to chance for his oldest to end up coming back like Jason Todd had, and Tim had agreed because of the Black Lanterns attack. The real body had been moved to the same location as the false Batman corpse to prevent either from happening.

There had been some members of the hero community in attendance, all dressed in civilian clothes. Most were members of the teams that Dick had lead. Of course, there were civilians that had known Dick, like his partner from Bludhaven. Damian had also noticed Jason standing at the edge of the cemetery, watching the proceedings, too.

The superhero funeral had yet to take place, to keep the attachment of Nightwing and Dick from the public. But that didn't stop a condolences card from already arriving in the mail from Deathstroke, as the mercenary had known the vigilante's secret ID.

A small mewl pulled Damian from his thoughts, and he looked down at the kitten that had made its way into his lap. The boy sighed at the gray fur now littering his suit, but pet the kitten anyway. After a few moments, he stopped and picked the furball up to look at it closely.

"You don't have a name yet. I need to call you something," he told it in a serious tone. The feline only purred in response, staring at him with those too-blue eyes. "... Grayson. I'll call you Grayson," he declared, lowering the kitten back onto his lap to resume petting it.

* * *

Days later, after Nightwing - really, Jason masquerading in the old costume he had imitated from Dick's - had been seen "dying" - a theatrical affair aided by other members of the superhero community - that funeral was held. In a moment of what could possibly be brilliance or insanity, Damian made a decision on what to do. He waited until his father had left for the night, and observed Alfred until he had gone to bed, then departed from the manor himself to find the Red Hood.

When he landed on the same rooftop as the deadly vigilante, guns were immediately trained on him before lowering.

"What do you want, Demon," Jason demanded.

"Your help, Todd."

The helmet tilted to the side. "You want my help? For what?"

"I want to steal Nightwing's body." When Jason stayed silent, probably from shock, Damian continued. "I know how to find a Lazarus Pit."

* * *

**A/N:** Wow… Finally finished all three of these… It was pretty daunting, but I wanted to get all three written so they'd all be posted at the same time. Yes, there are similar parts (or flat-out copy/pastes) in these ends, but I figured… If there's similarities, why waste my time to write it all out multiple times when I can alter what was already needed? But I have warned you guys before that I'm lazy. So, thank you, everyone, for reading through to the endings! And for those of you who decided to read all three endings, I offer even MORE thanks! You guys have been lovely, and have encouraged me to write again after several YEARS of writing no literature at all. Well, not like this anyway…

Goodbye for now, and if you decide to follow me into the next fanfiction adventure… I look forward to the journey with you!

Actual Word Count of Chapter: 1463

PS: All responses to reviews after this point will be done by private messages. ;) Thanks again for all your support, faves, watches, etc!


	7. GOOD End

**A/N: **So here we are… the endings. It's been fun, guys, and I hope you enjoy them. ;) By the way, I'm not sure WHEN it may happen, but there MIGHT be a sequel to this branching from the BAD ending. It depends on my mood.

**Reviewer's Response: **

**DeathwishJV: **Well, I passed the message along to the author of that scene… And you get a dream from Damian in two of the ends, but neither are the dark horrible ones that are probably NORMAL… You'll see. ;)

**Hount-Walf:** Ahhh! That was the longest chapter! Lol… Well, I'm a firm believer in the whole 'don't drag it out' idea. Here are three endings, ready for your perusal!

**Anonymous:** Oh, hi there, anon! I'm glad you liked it! :D Thanks for reading it, and I hope you find the endings as good as the rest of it!

**Tyra Kinami:** Sorry that y story doesn't focus so much on Tim or the other kids… Maybe poking at BlueMoss will get her to write more about his nightmares! Or maybe she'll just be flattered… Well, here you go, endings to find out just what happens to Dick!

**pokerfacedcat: **:D I'm glad you liked and reviewed all the previous chapters! Here is the end to your suspenseful waiting period! I hope you enjoy!

* * *

(_Again, another scene written by BlueMoss, this time because she wrote it before I could. Being the lazy author I am, I didn't complain.)_

It was a few hours after the explosion when Dick slowly started to come around. The first thing he felt was pain in his chest. He struggled, but his body felt like it weighed 5 times more than it normally did. Slowly, he opened his eyes. The room was dim so it only took him moments to adjust to the light. He couldn't move his head but he could see tubes and wires around him. Then he noticed the antiseptic smell of the clinic and the sound of the machines. He was awake. Really awake.

Relief rushed over him as he started to take tabs on his own body. His chest hurt, a lot. It felt like he was drowning but he knew it was only the ventilator forcing him to breathe that was causing this. He also knew that it was blunt force trauma that caused him to go into a coma in the first place, but there wasn't any pain in his head right now. Dick was not looking forward to the headaches after starting to move around. It was just as he was beginning to wonder when someone would discover him when Alfred walked in.

He didn't notice the man was awake until Dick lifted his arm to reach for the butler. He gasped. "Oh good Lord..." and rushed to the bedside, relief washing over his face. Dick was happy to see the man, but really wanted to breathe for himself. He brought his hand up and motioned toward the tube sticking out of his throat. "Yes, of course. Just give me a moment…" In a few minutes Dick was sitting up and coughing between sipping on some water. Alfred was quiet until Dick smiled at him and croaked out a weak "Hey, Alfie."

Alfred sure looked worried for Dick just waking up from a coma. "Master Richard... You should know that I am elated at your awakening but..." he trailed off, looking away.

"But what?"

"Master Damian was caught in a bombing a couple of hours ago. He's been missing and the others are looking for him right now."

The bomb. Dick had completely forgotten about that. "But..." But Damian was far enough away from the bomb when it went off. It wasn't even all that big of a bomb, only large enough to take out that bridge support. "He was clear of the explosion."

"Excuse me?"

Dick held up his hand. "It's a long story. Do you have a communicator on you?"

Dumbfounded, Alfred handed his comm over to the man. Dick fiddled with the device until he was sure it was only sending to one person. "Hey O, you there?"

"Dick? You're awake?"

"Alive and kickin'! Well, alive anyway. But listen, Alfred told me about Damian."

"Oh, Dick. I'm sorr-"

"Wait. I know this is going to sound crazy, but Damian was not caught in that blast."

"Dick... How could you possibly know that?"

"Ok, let me explain. While I was knocked out my spirit or something was able to roam around. You guys couldn't see or hear me at all. It was kind of weird, really... But Damian COULD see me. Well, I followed him to the bomb site to keep an eye on him. It seemed like he disarmed the bomb so he left and then I went in to check it out. It was a remote activated bomb, though, and it went off. It didn't hurt me, actually I think it woke me up, but Damian was on the retaining wall when the bomb went off. There was no way he would have been hit by that blast." Dick could only imagine the look on Barbara's face. Actually it probably looked close to Alfred's: mouth agape and stunned.

"Ok, I'll… tell the others. You get some sleep, some real sleep."

Dick hadn't noticed till now, but he was dog tired. "That sounds pretty good right now."

"Hey, Dick?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm glad you woke up."

"Me too, Babs." With that Dick handed the comm back to a smiling Alfred. Dick lay back, asleep as soon as his eyes were closed.

* * *

Damian glared at the dark sky above the alley he was crouching in. How could he have messed up disarming that bomb? It was a stupid rookie mistake, and he had been disarming – and building – bombs since he could hold the tools necessary. He, Damian Wayne, Robin and son of the Batman, had failed. And Grayson had seen it. That was worse than the knowledge that he had failed in his mission. He didn't want to face his father or any of the strays that had become his family yet; did not want the sympathy, pity, or mockery that was sure to accompany their greetings.

So, here he sat, tracer disabled, in a filthy alley littered with old newspapers and the garbage overflowing from a nearby dumpster. A petulant scowl overtook his features, and the young boy pulled the hood of his cape over his hair and switched the victim of his glare to the ground. He was NOT pouting.

A soft high-pitched sound jerked his attention from a crack in the pavement, whipping around to face it. Surprised, Damian blinked at the small walking pile of dark grey fuzz that was staring up at him with exceptionally blue eyes. The kitten mewled again, tottering towards the boy a little unsteadily. The current Robin stared at the feline as it climbed over his legs to enjoy the warmth of his lap before hesitantly moved a gloved hand to stroke the soft fuzz on top of its head.

A short time later and Damian was climbing through the window of his bedroom, clutching the grey kitten to his chest – and getting little hairs all over the red tunic – with one hand. The animal had fallen asleep in his hold, purring at first before falling silent as its sleep deepened. He found himself reluctant to put the kitten down, but finally coaxed the tiny claws from their hooked place in fabric and carefully put the fuzzy ball on top of his blankets so he could change out of his uniform.

Since the kitten seemed tired enough to just sleep, he decided against going downstairs to find temporary supplies for it, and joined the kitten on the bed to rest.

...

Damian waited impatiently for his father to go through the motions of preparing for the day. Bruce had decided to take him to the Gotham Clinic so he could finally see what was so important there that could demand the attentions of the two adopted sons of the Wayne family. Scowling at the bright light streaming in through the open door, the boy folded his arms over his chest. The sun seemed to be shining almost too brightly…

Footsteps pulled his thoughts away from the door as his father approached, finally ready. With only a glance and not a single word, the two walked through the door and to the waiting car.

The following car ride was quiet, and seemed to be too short for the distance they should be traveling. Damian attributed it to some childish excitement and forgot about it as Alfred stopped the car and moved to open the door for his charges. Together, the Waynes made their way into the clinic, where they were greeted by a morose Leslie.

"Bruce… I tried to reach you, but you had already left the Manor," the older woman gently commented.

"Has something changed, Leslie?"

Damian frowned. Surely if this woman wanted to reach his father so badly, she would have called his cell phone when the landline had gone unanswered.

Leslie hesitated a moment before responding. "Yes… After the explosion last night…" Was he imagining things, or did she look at him with pity? "Well, come see for yourselves."

Damian followed his father and the old family friend as they moved through the hallway – strangely, it seemed longer than it should be and the doors seemed to be out of order – to one at the end. As they walked in, Damian looked at the gurney and fought the urge to run away. Bile was rising in his throat and panic had started to set in as he gazed at the single casualty from the bomb's unexpected detonation.

...

Bright blue and black swirled in Damian's mind as he jerked himself out of the dream, a startled yowl pulling his focus from his nightmare to the gray kitten clinging to his blankets. After staring at his new bedmate for a moment, the boy picked up the kitten and gently hugged it, burying his nose in its soft fur to calm himself. A breathing exercise later, and Damian moved the now-purring creature to his lap, idly stroking it.

"If you are to stay here, you will need a name." He looked down at the kitten, staring into its too-blue eyes. He stayed that way for a few minutes, but ultimately decided to wait until the morning to decide, lest he come up with something idiotic. Like Fluffy.

* * *

A scant few hours after Damian had woken himself from his nightmare (and fallen back asleep), Bruce himself had opened his bedroom door, presumably to see if his youngest son had returned to the Manor after disappearing. To his immense relief, that had been the case and Damian was sleeping with a toy - no, that was a kitten. That was curious.

Carefully, Bruce made his way to the bed, noting the way the kitten's head lifted to stare at him. He gently placed his hand on his son's shoulder as he looked away from the small creature. "Damian."

Damian's eyes snapped open to look up at his father, then waited for the man to say something.

"We have been looking for you since the bomb went off. What happened," Bruce questioned, his tone lacking the icy gruffness of the Bat but certainly demanding answers.

Damian took a moment to collect his thoughts, slowly shifting to a seated position so he didn't startle the kitten again. "I made a mistake in disarming the bomb. It was remote-activated. When it detonated, I began to make my way back here."

"Your tracker was deactivated."

"-Tt- The bomb must have damaged it."

"I see... Get ready. We are going to Gotham Clinic."

Damian fought down a rising surge of trepidation. This was only a coincidence. "What reason do we have to go there, Father?"

"You will see when we get there." Bruce looked at the ball of fluff, debating on what to say concerning it.

"I'm keeping it, Father." Damian wasn't going to give him the chance to say otherwise.

The Wayne patriarch nodded after a moment, repeated his command to get ready, and left his son's room. Damian huffed a bit and stood to dress himself; he purposefully chose lighter colors to wear so the hair from his kitten would not show so much.

* * *

This time, the car ride from Wayne Manor to Gotham Clinic took the appropriate amount of time. Damian spent the entire trip counting the seconds while he pet his kitten. Bruce was also the one driving them, instead of Alfred, who had driven in his nightmare. However, it was just as silent between father and son, and although Damian had been sorely tempted to question him about the contents of the manila envelope that sat on the console, he was equally determined to not be the first to break the silence.

When they walked through the doors of the clinic, another major change difference became immediately apparent: Stephanie and Tim - well, Batgirl and Red Robin were waiting for them with tired but relieved expressions.

"Bruce! Bruce, you'll never believe it!" Stephanie exclaimed when she saw him.

"What could possibly be so exciting..." Damian grumbled at the blonde.

"It's Dick!" Damian felt his stomach drop and he held the kitten a little tighter. Had something happened to the acrobat? "He actually -" the blonde cut off with an indignant squawk of surprise as they young boy shoved past her to trot down the hall, nearly colliding with Alfred.

The butler appeared as put together as usual, but like the other members of the Bat Family, was also sporting a tired but relieved expression. "Young Master Damian... You are here to see Master Richard, I expect? He has been a little concerned since your disappearance last night."

"Then he's... well?" Damian managed to get out without an embarrassing tremor.

"Come see for yourself," Alfred invited, gesturing through the open doorway.

Hesitantly, Damian made his way into the small room. There, Dick was sitting up on his hospital bed, smiling at Barbara and holding her hand tightly. The two of them turned to look at him, the tech whiz pulling her hand free so she could wheel herself back a little from the bedside. This proved a wise move as Damian flew across the room to cling to his older brother before he could think on how undignified it was or consider the well-being of a small gray kitten.

"Whoa...Little D, it's ok.. I'm alright.." Dick patiently told the boy, rubbing his back.

Barbara watched the two brothers with a small smile, not wanting to interrupt the moment. From what Dick had said, Damian was the only one who hadn't realized what had happened, but from his reaction... It was hard to tell. Well, maybe he thought Dick had been caught in the blast last night? The acrobat had said that Damian could see him, and claimed to have been there...

"So, what are you going to call your new friend?" Dick asked, reaching out to rub the kitten's head and pulling Barbara's attention back to the two boys.

The current Robin looked down at it, taking his time to consider his options. "Grayson..."

"Yeah?"

"-Tt-, not you. The kitten's name." Damian looked away, fighting down the warmth traveling towards his cheeks. Seems he'll have to find something else to call Nightwing.

Dick felt a wide grin spread across his face. "You're naming your kitten after me? Aww, Dami, I'm touched!"

"Shut up, Richard!"

* * *

**A/N:** Wow… Finally finished all three of these… It was pretty daunting, but I wanted to get all three written so they'd all be posted at the same time. Yes, there are similar parts (or flat-out copy/pastes) in these ends, but I figured… If there's similarities, why waste my time to write it all out multiple times when I can alter what was already needed? But I have warned you guys before that I'm lazy. So, thank you, everyone, for reading through to the endings! And for those of you who decided to read all three endings, I offer even MORE thanks! You guys have been lovely, and have encouraged me to write again after several YEARS of writing no literature at all. Well, not like this anyway…

Goodbye for now, and if you decide to follow me into the next fanfiction adventure… I look forward to the journey with you!

Actual Word Count of Chapter: 2361

PS: All responses to reviews after this point will be done by private messages. ;) Thanks again for all your support, faves, watches, etc!


	8. GRAY End The End

**A/N: **So here we are… the endings. It's been fun, guys, and I hope you enjoy them. ;) By the way, I'm not sure WHEN it may happen, but there MIGHT be a sequel to this branching from the BAD ending. It depends on my mood.

**Reviewer's Response: **

**DeathwishJV: **Well, I passed the message along to the author of that scene… And you get a dream from Damian in two of the ends, but neither are the dark horrible ones that are probably NORMAL… You'll see. ;)

**Hount-Walf:** Ahhh! That was the longest chapter! Lol… Well, I'm a firm believer in the whole 'don't drag it out' idea. Here are three endings, ready for your perusal!

**Anonymous:** Oh, hi there, anon! I'm glad you liked it! :D Thanks for reading it, and I hope you find the endings as good as the rest of it!

**Tyra Kinami:** Sorry that y story doesn't focus so much on Tim or the other kids… Maybe poking at BlueMoss will get her to write more about his nightmares! Or maybe she'll just be flattered… Well, here you go, endings to find out just what happens to Dick!

**pokerfacedcat: **:D I'm glad you liked and reviewed all the previous chapters! Here is the end to your suspenseful waiting period! I hope you enjoy!

* * *

"_There's a remote_!"

Damian paused on the retaining wall he had been moving along as he heard Grayson's voice. A remote? The Robin's eyes widened as he realized, he hadn't disarmed the bomb after all. He spun in mid step, turning to go back to Nightwing's side and remedy his mistake.

He was too late. Before his eyes, the bomb detonated, throwing shrapnel, heat, and blinding light, devouring any sign of his acrobatic older brother. Damian dropped on the other side of the wall to avoid whatever would reach him at his distance, already going numb from what had happened.

Nightwing - Dick Grayson - was dead. He had failed to disarm a simple bomb, and it cost them the life of the first Robin. As soon as the realization filtered through his consciousness, the boy angrily deactivated the tracer he knew was on him. Before authorities could arrive on the scene, Damian was running away from his failure, a slight bit of wetness under his mask.

* * *

(_This scene makes a reappearance! Again, another scene written by BlueMoss, this time because she wrote it before I could. Being the lazy author I am, I didn't complain.)_

It was a few hours after the explosion when Dick slowly started to come around. The first thing he felt was pain in his chest. He struggled, but his body felt like it weighed 5 times more than it normally did. Slowly, he opened his eyes. The room he was dim so it only took him moments to adjust to the light. He couldn't move his head but he could see tubes and wires around him. Then he noticed the antiseptic smell of the clinic and the sound of the machines. He was awake. Really awake.

Relief rushed over him as he started to take tabs on his own body. His chest hurt, a lot. It felt like he was drowning but he knew it was only the ventilator forcing him to breathe that was causing this. He also knew that it was blunt force trauma that caused him to go into a coma in the first place, but there wasn't any pain in his head right now. Dick was not looking forward to the headaches after starting to move around, though. It was just as he was beginning to wonder when someone would discover him when Alfred walked in.

He didn't notice the man was awake until Dick lifted his arm to reach for the butler. He gasped. "Oh good Lord..." and rushed to the bedside. Dick was happy to see the man, but really wanted to breathe for himself. He brought his hand up and motioned toward the tube sticking out of his throat. "Yes, of course. Just give me a moment…" In a few minutes Dick was sitting up and coughing between sipping on some water. Alfred was quiet until Dick smiled at him and croaked out a weak "Hey, Alfie."

Alfred surely looked down for Dick just waking up from a coma. "Master Richard... You should know that I am elated at your awakening but..." he trailed off, looking away.

"But what?"

"Master Damian was caught in a bombing a couple of hours ago. He's been missing and the others are looking for him right now."

The bomb. Dick had completely forgotten about that. "But..." But Damian was far enough away from the bomb when it went off. It wasn't even all that big of a bomb, only large enough to take out that bridge support. "He was clear of the explosion."

"Excuse me?"

Dick held up his hand. "It's a long story. Do you have a communicator on you?"

Dumbfounded, Alfred handed his comm over to the man. Dick fiddled with the device until he was sure it was only sending to one person. "Hey O, you there?"

"Dick? You're awake?"

"Alive and kickin'! Well, alive anyway. But listen, Alfred told me about Damian."

"Oh, Dick. I'm sorr-"

"Wait. I know this is going to sound crazy, but Damian was not caught in that blast."

"Dick... How could you possibly know that?"

"Ok, let me explain. While I was knocked out my spirit or something was able to roam around. You guys couldn't see or hear me at all. It was kind of weird, really... But Damian COULD see me. Well, I followed him to the bomb site to keep an eye on him. It seemed like he disarmed the bomb so he left and then I went in to check it out. It was a remote activated bomb, though, and it went off. It didn't hurt me, actually I think it woke me up, but Damian was on the hanger across the field when the bomb went off. There was no way he would have been hit by that blast." Dick could only imagine the look on Barbara's face. Actually it probably looked close to Alfred's: mouth agape and stunned.

"Ok, I'll… tell the others. You get some sleep, some real sleep."

Dick hadn't noticed till now, but he was dog tired. "That sounds pretty good right now."

"Hey, Dick?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm glad you woke up."

"Me too, Babs." With that Dick handed the comm back to a smiling Alfred. Dick lay back, asleep as soon as his eyes were closed.

* * *

Damian sat, tracer disabled, in a filthy alley littered with old newspapers and garbage overflowing from a nearby dumpster. He had been sitting here for some time, hidden and sans mask, angrily dashing away tears whenever he felt any fall from his eyes.

A soft high-pitched sound jerked his attention from a crack in the pavement, and he whipped around to face it. Surprised, Damian blinked at the small walking pile of dark grey fuzz that was staring up at him with exceptionally blue eyes. The kitten mewled again, tottering towards the boy a little unsteadily. The current Robin stared at the feline as it climbed over his legs to enjoy the warmth of his lap before hesitantly moved a gloved hand to stroke the soft fuzz on top of its head.

A short time later and Damian was climbing through the window of his bedroom, clutching the grey kitten to his chest – and getting little hairs all over the red tunic – with one hand. The animal had fallen asleep in his hold, purring at first before falling silent as its sleep deepened. He found himself reluctant to put the kitten down, but finally coaxed the tiny claws from their hooked place in fabric and carefully put the fuzzy ball on top of his blankets so he could change out of his uniform.

On the way back to the manor, Damian had made sure to swing by the orphanage where Colin lived, and the boy-identity of Abuse was happy to find a couple small, chipped dishes, a small can of tuna, and a cardboard box that the two boys had filled with some shredded newspapers for the time being, to serve as a litter box. Neither was able to tell if the kitten was really old enough for the food, or trained for the box, but Robin decided to give them a try.

Now he took one of the dishes to the nearest sink - in a bathroom - to make sure that his new kitten had some water for the night. However, it seemed that the kitten was more interested in stealing Damian's pillow for a bed and had curled up quite contentedly. It didn't take long for the young vigilante to join the furball on the bed, where he idly stroked it a few times before gathering it close to his chest.

"What should I call you," he muttered to the kitten. Naturally, the kitten had nothing to say in response. After staring into the thing's blue eyes for a few minutes, Damian nodded. "That's it. You're name is Grayson."

That decided, the young Wayne was able to drift off to sleep with the kitten is his arms. If there was wetness on his cheeks still, it wasn't because he had shed tears...

* * *

The next morning, Damian was still sitting on his bed, dangling a string for his new kitten to bat at. He wasn't in any hurry to leave his room, though he knew that eventually, he would have to face the facts. His mistake had cost his family a member, and nothing was going to change that. Well, not without a near-apocalypse at least.

The boy sighed as he jerked the string out of Grayson's reach again. Despite the fact that the name he chose would always keep his failure fresh in his mind, Damian felt that it was suitable, considering the kitten's boundless energy. Playing with it also kept him from dwelling too much on the explosion that had cost the family a pillar of support.

Distantly, he could hear the sound of someone moving in the manor. At first, he wrote it off as Alfred, but two things quickly provided reasons why that was improbable: The pace and sound of the steps did not match the elderly butler's, and he hadn't heard anyone until a few moments ago. Alfred was usually the first in the family to rise so breakfast would be ready for the rest.

Eyes narrowed, Damian left the string on the bed for the kitten to pounce on and padded his way to the door. Slowly, he eased it open just wide enough for him to look out it. After a few moments, he caught a glimpse of purple that was quickly covered by fluid black - a cape - and he relaxed and pushed the door a little more open.

"What do you want, Fatgirl," he deadpanned at the blonde intruder.

Stephanie jumped and whirled around to face him. "Damian! There you are! Everyone's been worried about you ALL night!"

With his arms folded over his chest, the current Robin turned his head away. A few footfalls echoed in the empty house and the current Batgirl's face was near his own. Intent on telling her off, Damian turned towards the girl with a scowl, but before he could say anything, she continued.

"Get dressed again! I have to take you to the Clinic now!"

Bemused, he asked "Why the clinic..?"

"Just hurry up and get dressed!" When he had disappeared into his room again, but seemed to be taking too long for the girl, she urged "Come on!"

Damian rolled his eyes and pulled his costume back on so he could travel with Batgirl without any possible witnesses being curious. After sticking his mask back to his face, he rubbed the kitten's head and left the room once more, shutting the door behind him.

Within minutes, the two vigilantes were off, heading towards the clinic.

* * *

Dick looked around the room that was (thankfully) empty for the moment. He wasn't in a rush to explain to all his family about what had been going on while he was comatose, and he was sure that they would stop him from what he was going to do next... Slowly, he sat up, then carefully turned on the bed until he could slide his feet to the floor and push himself up, keeping a tight grip on the side of his bed. A grin spread across his face; he had managed to stand alone. So what if he was supposed to remain on bed rest for a few days... he HATED staying still, and they all knew it.

Okay, so he didn't trust his legs to hold him without leaning on something for support. But it was a start. Well, he hadn't really been out for that long, right? So it shouldn't necessarily take PT to get back to himself, just rest and solid foods. That's what Dick was hoping for, at least.

"...NOT like waffles?" At Stephanie's voice, Dick turned towards the door. There, now he heard two sets of footsteps heading his way, too.

"They are childish and unnecessary carbohydrates." She must have found Damian...Dick smiled to himself. There was no mistaking his little demon brother's voice. He could just see the smirk that must be crossing the boy's face now. "Maybe you should cut them out of your diet too, Fatgirl."

In the next moment, Stephanie had shoved Damian into Dick's room. As Robin's eyes landed on his older brother, the acrobat watched the smirk fade away as the boy's face paled.

"No... No! You can't be-!" Damian was backing up. Hurt flashed through Dick for a moment, before realization dawned. He must have looked back when the bomb went off!

"Dami, it's ok!" the older vigilante was careful to keep a grip on his bed with one hand but held the other out as he tried to soothe the boy. "I'm really here."

"You're here to haunt me for failing, aren't you..." the current Robin whispered. He was calmer now, but his body was obviously still tensed.

Dick shook his head. "No, Damian. I'm not dead." He gave a soft laugh. "Sorry I didn't exactly explain it earlier, but I was actually more of a ghost BEFORE the bomb went off. I was just too... glad that you could actually see and hear me to try telling you then."

Hesitantly, the young Wayne made his way over to him. Dick smiled at him, glad to see that he had relaxed somewhat, though his hands were in fists at his sides...

A moment later, he had fallen back on his bed. Maybe he should've seen that punch coming.

But it didn't matter now, because Damian was hugging him so tightly, Dick was surprised that he could still breathe. Carefully, he wrapped his arms around him to return the embrace and looked up at the doorway with an expectant smile. Stephanie grinned back and hurried over to hug both boys, making sure to squish an indignant Damian between them.

* * *

**A/N: **Wow… Finally finished all three of these… It was pretty daunting, but I wanted to get all three written so they'd all be posted at the same time. Yes, there are similar parts (or flat-out copy/pastes) in these ends, but I figured… If there's similarities, why waste my time to write it all out multiple times when I can alter what was already needed? But I have warned you guys before that I'm lazy. So, thank you, everyone, for reading through to the endings! And for those of you who decided to read all three endings, I offer even MORE thanks! You guys have been lovely, and have encouraged me to write again after several YEARS of writing no literature at all. Well, not like this anyway…

Goodbye for now, and if you decide to follow me into the next fanfiction adventure… I look forward to the journey with you!

Actual Word Count of Chapter: 2292

PS: All responses to reviews after this point will be done by private messages. ;) Thanks again for all your support, faves, watches, etc!


End file.
